October 2011

A bunch of college campuses got way cooler this month, as chillwave innovator Neon Indian and glitzy hip-hop upstart Kreayshawn embarked on the Noisey College Tour. The trek took the pair through the Great Lakes region and now has them on the Eastern Seaboard through November 4.

Rdio is pleased to be sponsoring the tour and to celebrate, Neon Indian has assembled an exclusive Neon Indian playlist, which you can hear below, as did Kreayshawn on her Noisey Tour playlist. In the meantime, check out the tour dates below, and find more information at the event’s Facebook page.

What do the years 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2004 have in common? They’re the only years Clinton, Oklahoma country music icon Toby Keith hasn’t released an album since he began recording in 1993. This week’s release of new album Clancy’s Tavern, which was named after his grandmother’s bar in Fort Smith, Arkansas, marks Keith’s 15th full-length to date.

Holiday music is a touchy subject. Some people love and celebrate it as part of the main event, while other people can do without. You’ll find both camps hanging out on Rdio, and this time of year almost everyone can use some Halloween music for one reason or another. If you need spooky sounds, classic Halloween songs (like “Thriller”) or just a themed dance playlist for your party, there’s much to choose from on Rdio.

Dance-funk outfit Chromeo are P-Thugg and Dave 1, two Montreal-bred musicians who bonded over a surprising love of Hall & Oates. Since 2004 the duo have been crafting sophisticated and sensuous dance tunes on albums like 2007’s breakout Fancy Footwork and last year’s follow-up, Business Casual.

Just for Rdio, both members of Chromeo created a playlist of Top Sax Solo Songs. Check out the playlist now and read the duo’s extensive and entertaining answers to our Five Questions below.

Five Questions with Chromeo

Who do you think is an important musician that most people have never heard of before?P-Thugg: For me it’s Roger Troutman. My whole career is based on copying him, whether it’s his guitar playing, his talk box, or playing his songs or his drum sounds. Everything. He is the one who created and produced all the music for Zapp.Dave 1: People know about him but not enough people know about him. They know him as the guy in the Tupac song, but they should know him for the real sort of obscure ’70s tragic genius that he is. And I guess another one for me would be Shuggie Otis; again, some people know him, but most people don't. He is still considered obscure. And he was kind of a predecessor to Prince. Somewhere in between Jimi Hendrix and Prince. He was like a virtuoso guitar player and a really young musical prodigy and he kind of sang like Prince. Apparently, at one point, The Rolling Stones asked him to join their band and he said no and he kept doing his own music and he did just a limited number of songs and he stopped. He just quit. And so I like him a lot.

If you had access to any record in the world, what would you listen to right now?D1: The thing is that we have access to every record in the world. It’s called the internet. So it is not even like a remote possibility.P-T: You can go on the internet and listen to anything you want.D1: Nowadays, you can even listen to the separated tracks of every record. They have those for some classic records too.

Which album or artist do you most associate with your childhood?P-T: Michael Jackson - Bad.D1: Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction Actually, no... I've got earlier ones. Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, but that was from my parents collection and my parents played that for me all the time when I was a baby. But then the first cassette I bought with my own money was Appetite for Destruction.

We hope people are ______________ when they listen to our music.D1: Smiling.P-T: Yeah, or having sex.

We were thinking about ______________ when we wrote music for the new album.D1: Sunsets.P-T: Each other.

Musical trailblazers are at the forefront of this week’s New Music Tuesday as new albums from former Beach Boy Brian Wilson, R&B icons Boyz II Men, and country vet Toby Keith are released. And don't miss the reissue of Dntel’s touchstone album that spawned the Postal Service's formation with Ben Gibbard. Hot on the heels of these releases are new ones from Vince Gill, French electronic duo Justice, former Savage Garden crooner Darren Hayes, and indie rockers the The Beets and Surfer Blood.

Playlist Notes

Dirty Projectors + Bjork - Mount Wittenberg Orca
Two names known for melding pop melodies with experimental rhythms and electronics join forces on Mount Wittenberg Orca, an EP that was born out of a collaborative charity show played by the Dirty Projectors and Bjork. They recorded these songs shortly thereafter, which are now ready for you to experience.

Justice - Audio, Video, Disco
After the smash success of their explosive debut Cross, French duo Justice took a few years off. Now they’re back with an album that spans more of their influences than ever before. Soft-rock, pop, country and flutes — it’s all here, on a hugely ambitious new album.

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
American Idol original Kelly Clarkson took a brief hiatus from her music career when it started to take a toll on her vocal cords. The break rejuvenated her all-powerful voice, which shows on the aptly-named Stronger, Clarkson’s self-admitted best album to date.

Surfer Blood - Tarot Classics
Florida indie rock quartet Surfer Blood turned more than a few heads with their surf-tinged, energetic debut, Astro Coast. They’ve followed it up with a four-song EP that should whet appetites for album number two, and remind music listeners why they are so beloved in the first place.

Mumford & Sons - Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Americana-invoking UK folk-rock act Mumford & Sons have taken the world by storm since releasing their debut album, so it’s no wonder the band scooped two of this year’s Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. They're on tour now, but if you can’t make it to one of their shows, they’ve released this live LP to fill the gap.

Besides being massively influential to the genre, Boyz II Men are also the most successful R&B group of all time. Today the Philadelphia trio are releasing their tenth album, titled Twenty, and we’ve got an exclusive stream of their commentary on the double-album’s 13 new songs and nine classics.

While you listen, read our Five Questions with Boyz II Men members Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman.

Five Questions with Boyz II Men

Who do you think is an important musician that most people have never heard of before?Wanya Morris: It's not that they haven’t heard of him, it’s just that people need to be more tuned into him in this age: Stevie Wonder, one of the most innovative artists of all time. Songs in the Key of Life!

Shawn Stockman: I think an important artist that the mainstream public has never heard of is Commissioned, a gospel group that has inspired any R&B artist my age!

Four years ago UK-based Joker amassed a huge following, emerging from the dubstep scene without having released a full-length album. That’s about to change: on November 8th, revered independent label 4AD will release The Vision, the 22 year old’s full-length debut album. Can’t wait? Rdio has it available exclusively, two-and-a-half weeks before its release.

On The Vision, Joker artfully weaves R&B, funk and soul influences, combining classic cuts like “Tron” and “My Trance Girl” with newer tracks such as the eponymous first single “The Vision”. Listen to those tracks and more on The Vision now.

Famed indie label 4AD had a hugely successful year, with the release of albums from critical heavy-hitters St. Vincent, tUnE-yArDs, Iron + Wine, and others. To celebrate these albums as well as 4AD’s bright future, look no further than their upcoming CMJ showcase.

This Saturday, October 22nd, 4AD will host their CMJ showcase at New York’s famed Bowery Ballroom. The night’s schedule includes performances by acclaimed 4AD bands Gang Gang Dance, Zomby, Inc., XXXChange and other special guests. (Who? We’ve heard rumors of someone with a new album coming out soon...)

DeVotchKa is a gypsy-folk group that's been making consistently great albums for over a decade. Earlier this year the Denver, Colorado quartet released their sixth studio album, 100 Lovers, and spent the rest of 2011 touring it relentlessly.

On October 28th and 29th the band will play a pair of shows in their native state, respectively at Denver’s Ogden Theatre and Boulder’s Boulder Theatre. DeVotchKa have a reputation for their love of Halloween, and the theme of this year’s shows are Zombies vs. Vampires. If it’s even a fraction as good as that sounds, we suggest that area fans grab tickets before it’s too late.

In the meantime, DeVotchka’s drummer Shawn King answered our Five Questions and constructed a playlist of some of his favorite shoegaze tracks with violinist Tom Hagerman, both of which are below.

Five Questions with DeVotchKa

Who do you think is an important musician that most people have never heard of before?Shawn King: The first person that comes to mind is Alain Johannes, who we did a tour with last year. In my view, he’s a rare combo of sensitive and fierce.

If you had access to any record in the world, what would you listen to right now?SK: Kraftwerk’s Ralf and Florian. I heard one track and now I’m curious.

Which album or artist do you most associate with your childhood?SK: Led Zeppelin II. I was spinning that record when the turntable was at eye level. The copy I own has a dedication to my mom from an old neighbor: “When you play it, you can always think of what good friends we have become. Good luck.”

We hope people are ______________ when they listen to our music.SK: Carelessly outgoing.

We were thinking about ______________ when we wrote music for the new album.SK: Corruption and lovelorn tycoons.

Playlist Notes

Fanfarlo - “Deconstruction”
Although the Swedish pop troupe hasn’t named their second album yet, they're offering this new track as a preview. If the song is any indication, we’re wagering that the album will be stylish indie pop that catches your ear and moves your feet.

R.E.M. - “We All Go Back to Where We Belong”
Last week, a world of music fans were disappointed to hear that pioneering college-rockers R.E.M. were breaking up. The sad and aptly-titled “We All Go Back to Where We Belong” is the new single from their forthcoming Greatest Hits compilation, so enjoy — it could be the last new song we’ll get from them.

Jane’s Addiction - The Great Escape Artist
Rock ‘n roll heroes Jane’s Addiction return this week with their new album, The Great Escape Artist, their first full-length since 2003’s Strays. It's reportedly darker than their last, and features TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek on bass guitar.

M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
French electronic artist M83 is known for making big records, but Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is surely his biggest. This double-album of his epic, electronic soundscapes, punctuated by his atmospheric voice, is getting rave reviews everywhere. Check it out to hear what the fuss is all about.

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